Watch Jimmy Kimmel Goad Stephen Colbert Into Shaving Off His Beard on Air

By Emily Zemler

Emily Zemler

Like David Letterman before him Stephen Colbert honored the end of his late-night talk show by growing a beard. The former Late Show host showcased the beard during the Emmys, where his show won seven awards, but admitted last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live that his wife Evie is not a fan.

“I was so excited to win because Evie hates my beard,” Colbert told Kimmel. “So much. And the kiss count has gone way down. She warned me, if you grow a beard the kiss count’s going to go way down. Smoochy time, much shorter because it’s prickly. But I said, ‘If I win an Emmy she has to kiss me because the camera will be on us.’ I also told her that if I won I would shave it off.”

“Can we shave you on the show?” Kimmel asked. “I can get some stuff.”

Colbert reluctantly agreed. “That’s fairly scandalous, but alright,” he said. “From the neck up, right?”

“Oh no, we’re going to do all the way do,” Kimmel said. Colbert replied, “By the end of the broadcast I want to be like an eel.”

The duo discussed various subjects, including Colbert’s work on an upcoming Lord of the Rings film in New Zealand and his impressive suit collection, which was gifted to him after the Late Show ended. They waited until the interview was nearly complete for Colbert to begin shearing off the beard with a pair of clippers. “This is like what they do with the sheep in New Zealand,” Kimmel quipped.

Colbert recounted collaborating on Lord of the Rings with his son Peter McGee and Philippa Boyens. Kimmel asked Colbert what it’s like working with his son on the film. “He understands screenwriting better than I do,” Colbert said. “I’m there just because I’m incredibly obsessive about the Lord of the Rings.” He added, “It’s fantastic. What could be better?”

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